…Kate and William attend remembrance services in Canberra as tens of thousands across Australia and New Zealand remember the war dead on Anzac Day
- William and Kate were not scheduled to attend the dawn service at Canberra’s War Memorial
- Duke wore his golden and diamond jubilee medals given for service to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth
- Anzac Day is Australia’s most significant anniversary
- It commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars and conflicts
- Royal couple will meet Australia’s most decorated soldiers throughout the day
Richard Shears and Sarah Michael and Candace Sutton
The Daily Mail [UK]
24 April 2014
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge today honoured Australia and New Zealand’s war dead as they attended a service of remembrance in Canberra on Anzac Day.
As tens of thousands of people across the two nations came to a standstill, Kate and William watched the traditional march which included Australia’s four surviving Victoria Cross recipients.
They had already made a surprise appearance at a dawn service in the Australian capital on the final day of their tour…
…Kate was wearing a smart navy dress and navy pillbox hat, with navy heels and a red poppy brooch.
The brooch was given to her by Victoria Cross recipient Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith’s wife Emma at an event at Government House on Thursday night. But the Palace would not release further details about Kate’s outfit, as they did not want to detract from the Anzac Day service…
…The Duke of Cambridge wore two jubilee medals during dawn service. William, who served in all three branches of British armed forces but was never decorated for military service, pinned the honours below a sprig of rosemary traditionally worn by Australians and New Zealanders at the event.
He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, left on his chest, in 2002 because he is a member of the royal household.
The cupronickel medal, which is suspended from a broad royal blue ribbon with thin red and white stripes, was also awarded to 446,000 members of the armed forces, police, prison, and emergency services or for other civilians of merit.
The other decoration, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, which is suspended from a broad red ribbon with white and blue stripes, was awarded in 2012 and is among 450,000 made.
He would also have been eligible for this medal due to his membership of the armed forces as well as being a royal…
…The neatly written message in Kate’s posy read: ‘In every second of every day, you will be remembered for your courage and your bravery. Thank you for your sacrifice and for what you have done for us. For that, I am truly grateful.’…
Read the complete article at The Daily Mail.
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